US Open champion Emma Raducanu has been bundled out of the Australian Open in the second round, beaten 6-4 4-6 6-3 by Montenegro's Danka Kovinic.
The teenage British sensation was hampered by a blistered racket hand from early in the first set of a tense contest on Margaret Court Arena, but showed great fighting spirit to stay in contention.
With her usually powerful forehand reduced to a slice, Raducanu let slip a 3-0 lead to lose the first set, but played on her 98th-ranked opponent's nerves to break at 4-4 in the second and take the match into a decider.
Kovinic showed great composure to forge ahead in the deciding set, resist a Raducanu fightback and then move 5-3 ahead, as the British youngster finally looked a little weary.
A stunning backhand winner sealed victory for Kovinic, 27, as she moved into a Grand Slam third round for the first time.
Meanwhile, world No.2 Daniil Medvedev has put an end to the Nick Kyrgios Show, dumping the mercurial local hope out with a clinical 7-6(1) 6-4 4-6 6-2 victory to reach the third round.
A capacity 50 percent crowd cheered on every Kyrgios point at a floodlit Rod Laver Arena, but despite their fanatic support, the Australian maverick could not find a way past the US Open champion, who showed nerves of steel.
An inspired Kyrgios forced a break of serve in the third set to take the match into a fourth, but Medvedev - the highest-ranked men's player remaining, after following Novak Djokovic's deportation - soon regained control.
A double break in the fourth set made it look easy for last year's Australian Open finalist and he will next meet 57th-ranked Botic van de Zandschulp of the Netherlands for a place in the fourth round.
Meanwhile, Andy Murray's long-awaited return to the Australian Open was brought to a disappointing end, when the three-time Grand Slam champion was ushered out of the tournament 6-4 6-4 6-4 by world No.120 Taro Daniel.
Perhaps still feeling the effects of his gruelling five-set battle in the opening round, the 34-year-old Scot looked out of sorts, as his inspired Japanese opponent bounced along the baseline, firing winner after winner.
Former world No.1 Murray showed no more than flashes of the brilliant tennis that got him to five Australian Open finals, as he made 34 unforced errors over the first two sets on John Cain Arena.
To the delight of the crowd, Murray edged ahead at 2-0 in the third set, but Daniel broke back immediately and 45 minutes later had booked his first Grand Slam third-round tie against Steve Johnson or Jannik Sinner.
Reuters
